The Premiership leaders lost their 26-game unbeaten record after the Dutchman was sent off for denying Peter Pawlett a goalscoring opportunity just 11 minutes into the 2-1 defeat at Pittodrie on Tuesday night.

Van Dijk is now free to face Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Parkhead today, with the appeal to an SFA disciplinary tribunal taking place on Thursday.

Off: Virgin van Dijk was shown a red card in Celtic's match against Aberdeen, but Neil Lennon has appealed

Unjust: Lennon felt that there was another defender covering the Dutchman

Critical of referee Craig Thomson after the defeat by the Dons, Lennon is challenging a widespread school of thought that the official called the red card right.

‘We have appealed Virgil’s red because we think it is worthwhile doing,’ said the Celtic boss. ‘We think we might have a shout. So he will be in contention (against Inverness).’

Reiterating his view that Efe Ambrose could have covered the ground to deny Dons midfielder Pawlett, Lennon admitted that is still the main ground for appeal.

‘Yes, that and also the deviation of the ball,’ he continued. ‘And the angle Pawlett was taking it to.

‘I think Efe would have got over there. We will see what the outcome will be.

‘You just never know with these things. But it is not like we are wasting anybody’s time. We feel we have a decent case.’

Ready for action: Van Dijk in training on Friday

Title push: Lennon has warned his players not to drop their intensity, despite needing just four more wins

Four wins from a third successive
Scottish Premiership title, Lennon has warned his players to maintain
their intensity, despite the loss of their unbeaten record.

Driven
and sustained by the chance to set new benchmarks, a 21-point lead
over the second-placed Dons means the title is a relative formality.

Denying suggestions that the season has been a disappointment, however, Lennon has challenged his side to maintain standards.

‘I will definitely keep an eye on them,’ he said. ‘If that is the case (that they drop a level), then they will not play.

‘There
is a squad to use but I am not intending to make radical changes. We
have played very well over the last few months and I think that gets
overlooked a lot.

‘I have to
be happy with what I have seen this season. We have 72 points — we only
had 79 last year. ‘We are well ahead of where we were last year in the
league. It is just the cup competitions that have been disappointing.

‘I
was asked about Aberdeen improving the other night but no one seems to
say we have actually improved, as well. That gets lost a little bit.
‘People just think we should be going unbeaten in a season and we should
be rail-roading teams.

No 1? Lennon said it will be a 'travesty' if Fraser Forster doesn't make the England World Cup squad

‘Some say we have not been making progression but I would disagree. It is difficult to progress when you are selling your best players and we have sold four this year.

‘It is a case of stabilising this year and rebuilding to get better.

‘We have to keep motivated. We have only conceded 14 goals this season. Maybe we can create a record there.

‘(And we can) obviously try to get over 100 points.’

Lennon, meanwhile, believes it will be a ‘travesty’ if Fraser Forster fails to make England’s World Cup squad.

‘It’s an interesting dynamic with the four goalkeepers,’ he said of Roy Hodgson’ s recent selection. ‘Normally, with a World Cup squad, it would be three out of the four, so we’re all hoping he will be one of the three.’